Mundanthurai tiger reserve
This tiger reserve is located in the western ghats in Thirunelveli of Tamilnadu, South India. It is one of the largest tiger reserves in Tamil Nadu and is part of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, which is part of UNESCO. Even though this area is well protected under the forest department of Tamilnadu, it also supports tourism and explorers. Let's see what this part of western ghats has to offer.
Staying in a Guesthouse inside the forest
The kalakkad forest department provides guest houses to stay inside the forest for travelers and explorers. There are guest houses in different regions over there and we booked one of the rooms. The drive was great. You have to cross the forest department check post to reach your room. The roads are narrow and you can stop by in some of the hairpin bends which will offer you a good view. There is only one small shop where can find snacks and food. You can also tell the people over there to cook food for you when you stay in the room with some extra charges. You can book rooms online at https://kmtr.co.in.
The only place to get food
A drive to Sorimuthu Ayyanar temple
Other than staying you can also take a one-day drive to the sorimuthu ayyanar temple where the road ends for the public. I prefer morning when the sunlight is not harsh and the trees will glow in majestic green. You can spot peacocks and deers easily on the way. Many local peoples make a visit to the temple on festive occasions. Small rivers cascade near the temple. You can also have a refreshing bath in the river Thamirabarani. Beware of the monkeys
the temple deers on the way
A visit to Agasthiyar waterfalls
The agasthiyar waterfall is the cascade of waters coming from karaiyar dam and papanasam dam. It is on the way to the tiger reserve room stay. This is a publicly accessible tourist place. This waterfall may be closed during monsoon since heave rainfall is frequent over the biosphere reserve.
A visit to karaiyar dam
Karaiyar dam holds the water originating from the mountains of Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. It is also one of the sources of the river Thamirabarani. This dam is accessible by road and is near to the forest department room stay. The path to this place is protected by the forest department. You will take a left turn to reach the ayyanar temple when there is a check post. You should get prior permissions from the forest department. I went there and was amazed by how big the dam is and covered by mountains all around. You can see the Manjolai viewpoint from the dam.
A visit to inaccessible Panatheertham waterfalls
Believe me, the access to these waterfalls to the public is open 10 years ago. Now there is no way to reach there unless you have help from the people living nearby over there or the forest department. This place is strictly prohibited for tourists, which is why it makes itself special. With some help, we took a motorboat from Karaiyar dam. We crossed the entire karaiyar dam and reached a point where i heard the sound of the waterfalls. I am excited by the mountains covered all around me. It was so magnificent when I watched the waterfalls. It was like peeking from the corner. The water falls very high from a hill. We parked our boats and it took half hour to reach the waterfall. I couldn't stop myself from taking pictures of it.
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| A view from the boat |
A visit to Manimutharu dam and waterfalls
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| view from manjolai |
A visit to Manjolai
Manjolai is the best offebeat destination in Thirunelveli. Even many don't know about this place. This place is situated near the Agasthyamala peak and it's known for its tea plantation. In order to reach manjolai, you can take a bus or a car. If you're going by car, you have to book forest department rooms prior and have to give proper information to the guards in the check post. The way to manjolai is very rough and no proper roads were laid. Low ground clearance vehicles are not allowed. There is also a high probability to witness Elephants on the way. Manjolai has many more beautiful places to offer and more about that will be on a separate blog.
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